The use of mobile electronic computing devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, ear buds, and medical devices continues to increase at high levels. In 2017, 77% of adults in the U.S. confirm owning a smartphone. See, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/28/10-facts-about-smartphones/. Further, electronic devices are being utilized into many professional environments. Establishments from restaurants to healthcare facilities are integrating electronic devices into their business practices for convenience and operational efficiency.
In the health care industry, a study by the Manhattan Research/Physician Channel Adoption Study found, in 2012, that 87% of physicians use a smartphone or tablet device in their workplace. See, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4029126. Meanwhile, healthcare is the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy and employees over 18 million employees. See, https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthcare/default.html. Accordingly, the use of electronic computing devices is prevalent.
The trend of using mobile computing devices electronics, both personally and in professional environments is concerning because of the high amounts of microorganisms, such as bacteria, that are collected and transferred by the devices. For instance, most electronic devices have a touch screen that is prone to collecting and transferring bacteria. Combining constant handling of handheld electronic devices and heat generated by those devices creates an optimal breeding ground for many microorganisms, such Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Neisseria sicca. One study performed found that 82% of smartphones showed some type of bacterial contamination, including Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus. See, http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/17/study-1-in-6-cell-phones-contaminated-with-fecal-matter. Most touch screens of the handheld devices are made of glass, which has an extremely high transfer rate of 78.6% for E. coli, which correlates with an increase rate of contamination by E. coli. See, https://aem.asm.org/content/79/18/5728. Unfortunately, people of all ages, including children and those with compromised immune systems, have more access to hand held electronics than ever before and are vulnerable to the contagious microorganisms often found on these devices.
Currently, device users often utilize their shirts, a towel, or other convenient item to wipe the device screen. However, merely wiping the screen, such as to remove smudges, fails to reduce or eliminate any bacteria present on the screen. The users can also utilize a specialized wiping cloth, such as microfiber; however, the cloth may be contaminated based on where the cloth is stored, may not be available, or further bacteria can be transferred from the user's hands when utilizing the microfiber cloth. Further, different disinfectant chemicals may harm the glass screen of handheld devices and may void the warranty of the devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cleaning case capable that effectively and conveniently cleans an electronic device without adding additional opportunities for transferring bacteria. Preferably, the cleaning case will be stored with the handheld electronic device.